1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to containers having removable caps, and more particularly to containers having removable caps where the cap of said container is also capable of supporting a removable container body section.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Medication is frequently packaged and stored in containers manufactured from disposable plastic materials. Such medication containers typically include both a plastic cap as well as a plastic container body section. Significant and highly dangerous acts of tampering have occurred with such medication container configurations because such containers incorporate a flat bottom surface at the end of the container opposite the cap end of the container. Such flat container bottom surfaces serve as the load supporting base for the container and are essentially obstructed from view by the consumer.
A significant number of instances have arisen where such prior art medication containers have been removed from drug stores. Tampering is then accomplished by cutting away from flat base of the container at a location in proximity to the location where the base of the container joins the vertical sidewalls of the container. The flat base of such prior art containers can easily be cut away from the body of the container, completely exposing the contents of the container. Tampering can then be accomplished. As a result of the clean, linear separation made between the flat container base and the container body, the container base can be glued back to the container body. Any rough, exposed edges of the reglued container base/container sidewall joint can be sanded away such that detection of such tampering is exceedingly difficult even when accomplished by skilled drug company inspectors. Because the container base is covered by the opaque medication or other product within the container, evidence of tampering on the container base is not visible to the consumer.
Because a factory seal can readily be affixed to the threaded coupling between the container cap and the mouth of the container itself, this portion of such prior art medication containers is relatively tamper proof in comparison to the highly susceptible flat base of such prior art containers.